Is this offensive?

[ThrillingHuman]

Just a small skit I randomly came up with, it sounded hilarious in my head but I do wonder if it's going to be offensive if I put it on paper. Obviously, I do not mean to offend anybody with it.

Situation: alien transported to Earth learning about superhero world

"So, the Dark Brotherhood, who are they?"
"Just a bunch of rednecks with superpowers"
"Manny! You aren't supposed to say that! That is so offensive! I can't believe you said it!"
"What did I say, Ischtex?"
"You can't discriminate against people because of their skin color! You told it to me!"
"I did not- Ah, I get it, did you think the word 'redneck'-"
"Manny!"
"It's okay! They call themselves that!"
"Well I've heard many people with dark skin tone call themselves a word you said was very bad, but others still can't say it!"

 

[Representing_Tromba]

This is okay

 

[AliceMoonvale]

I mean, there's plenty of web novels where people use actual slurs.
As a white person with redneck relatives, this screams 'baby's first derogatory word.'
So, you're fine. lmao

 

[L1aei]

I'm not going to tell you if that is offensive or not because you already answered that; if you had the thought "Is this offensive?" then somebody else will have that same consideration.

 

[Eldoria]

I don't understand why you pay attention to small details like racist conversations? There are many sensitive, dark, and brutal topics that often make up the content of fiction and are rarely debated.

I mean... we all agree that immorality in fiction is not justified, but it is impossible to avoid it because it is the fuel for conflict, and not the moral of fiction.

Fictional narratives should follow the internal logic of the world... it is impossible to narrate a feudal world without depicting class, racial, and structural conflicts.

What matters is not how dark the fictional world is, but how you want to portray social issues as a narrative and what you want to convey through this fiction?

 

[ThrillingHuman]

I don't understand why you pay attention to small details like racist conversations? There are many sensitive, dark, and brutal topics that often make up the content of fiction and are rarely debated.

I mean... we all agree that immorality in fiction is not justified, but it is impossible to avoid it because it is the fuel for conflict, and not the moral of fiction.

Fictional narratives should follow the internal logic of the world... it is impossible to narrate a feudal world without depicting class, racial, and structural conflicts.

What matters is not how dark the fictional world is, but how you want to portray social issues as a narrative and what you want to convey through this fiction?

u r taking it too seriously, it's a comedy skit.

I'm not going to tell you if that is offensive or not because you already answered that; if you had the thought "Is this offensive?" then somebody else will have that same consideration.

a comedy skit generally is offensive, but is it funny-offensive, or is it way-too-over there, which it seems, it's not

 

[melchi]

?

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

This is less comedy and more pointing out the obvious.

The right people will be offended though.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Someone is bound to be offended by whatever you write so I honestly wouldn't worry about something being offensive or not. ?

 

[CinnaSloth]

Be as offensive as you want (just not in the forums), and add the satire tag. My books are nothing, if not satire against the church. lol

 

[L1aei]

a comedy skit generally is offensive, but is it funny-offensive, or is it way-too-over there, which it seems, it's not

Good question. Ask your readers.

Someone is bound to be offended by whatever you write so I honestly wouldn't worry about something being offensive or not. ?

That's a unfortunate fact on everything. Even if something has never done any wrong, it will offend somebody out there.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

Good question. Ask your readers.


That's a unfortunate fact on everything. Even if something has never done any wrong, it will offend somebody out there.

And this is why I personally have stopped caring about what the 1% think anymore. I'm fine if the other 99% love me. ?

 

[CinnaSloth]

Someone is bound to be offended by whatever you write so I honestly wouldn't worry about something being offensive or not. ?

That's a unfortunate fact on everything. Even if something has never done any wrong, it will offend somebody out there.

Being offensive is an art. Not a good one, but it is.
It's going to hit, or miss, just like anything in the world concerning social interaction, but when the boundaries get push it too far, it becomes less about being offensive, or cracking a darkhumor kind of joke, and slips into something you should probably take a moment for some serious introspection, ..and maybe possibly some therapy.

so, i should reiterate:

Be as offensive as you want (just not in the forums), and add the satire tag. My books are nothing, if not satire against the church. lol

Be as offensive as YOU WANT.. and add the satire tag.
whatever boundaries you are willing to cross are on you. Nobody else.

 

[Author_Riceball]

Just a small skit I randomly came up with, it sounded hilarious in my head but I do wonder if it's going to be offensive if I put it on paper. Obviously, I do not mean to offend anybody with it.

Situation: alien transported to Earth learning about superhero world

"So, the Dark Brotherhood, who are they?"
"Just a bunch of rednecks with superpowers"
"Manny! You aren't supposed to say that! That is so offensive! I can't believe you said it!"
"What did I say, Ischtex?"
"You can't discriminate against people because of their skin color! You told it to me!"
"I did not- Ah, I get it, did you think the word 'redneck'-"
"Manny!"
"It's okay! They call themselves that!"
"Well I've heard many people with dark skin tone call themselves a word you said was very bad, but others still can't say it!"

it doesn't matter if it's offensive. And this is like not even offensive anymore since like half of gen Z is like hailing hitler.

 

[MFontana]

Just a small skit I randomly came up with, it sounded hilarious in my head but I do wonder if it's going to be offensive if I put it on paper. Obviously, I do not mean to offend anybody with it.

Situation: alien transported to Earth learning about superhero world

"So, the Dark Brotherhood, who are they?"
"Just a bunch of rednecks with superpowers"
"Manny! You aren't supposed to say that! That is so offensive! I can't believe you said it!"
"What did I say, Ischtex?"
"You can't discriminate against people because of their skin color! You told it to me!"
"I did not- Ah, I get it, did you think the word 'redneck'-"
"Manny!"
"It's okay! They call themselves that!"
"Well I've heard many people with dark skin tone call themselves a word you said was very bad, but others still can't say it!"

I may not be the best person for this, but I found it funny.
And inspiring.
Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Worthy39]

Everything is offensive these days, but if you have to worry about that whenever you upload a chapter, you'll never upload anything.

 

[FRWriter]

Just a small skit I randomly came up with, it sounded hilarious in my head but I do wonder if it's going to be offensive if I put it on paper. Obviously, I do not mean to offend anybody with it.

Situation: alien transported to Earth learning about superhero world

"So, the Dark Brotherhood, who are they?"
"Just a bunch of rednecks with superpowers"
"Manny! You aren't supposed to say that! That is so offensive! I can't believe you said it!"
"What did I say, Ischtex?"
"You can't discriminate against people because of their skin color! You told it to me!"
"I did not- Ah, I get it, did you think the word 'redneck'-"
"Manny!"
"It's okay! They call themselves that!"
"Well I've heard many people with dark skin tone call themselves a word you said was very bad, but others still can't say it!"

It's not offensive, but it's terrible cringe. The opposite of humorous. Childish humor.

 

[H0LL0W]

You will always offend someone. Can't please everyone.
Just make sure you're not doing something absolutely egregious.
I write dark humor. My rule of thumb is when making fun of sensitive topics, I ask myself: "Is someone making money on this terrible thing?" And if the answer is yes, then I make a joke about it.
Other rules some people go by are 20 years. After 20 years you can joke about a terrible event.

If you are still nervous to make jokes about sensitive topics/events, then just don't. Because at the end of the day its YOUR words, no one elses.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

is it just me or do others get tired of worrying about every, last, little, thing... that might offend someone.
Also, in writing. There are plenty of times its not appropriate for the characters *not* to offend each other. In real life, during heated conflicts stuff will come out of people's mouths that are very colorful indeed. At such a time, its almost silly for them to hold back and phrase everything as politically correct. Also? Good friends and team members deliberately haze each other, its normal. A character also, you might want them to have bad character flaws.

there's a scene in my book, the big university sports team, their starting center had "issues" and committed suicide in the off season. Their rivals decided to psych them out by making fun of them for it. There was a big bench clearing brawl, I pulled out all the stops. The coaches and assistant coaches ended up in it. The referees got into it, the (female, lol) players saw their team mate get ripped by her hair and thrown around by the ref trying to break up a giant brawl, they jumped on him. Even the mascots got into a brawl, all much to the delight of the crowd. The game was non stop cheap shots and fights, and near the end the two announcers got into a brawl up into the booth. The things they screamed at each other, the crowd was howling with laughter hearing ther announcers (two minorities,lol) fighting and hurling colorful insults back and forth. The ref got someone to go in and try to break it up or just cut the microphone, they got sucked into the brawl and a hilarious insult got launched from one minoirity fighter at the person intervening. I wanted complete pandemonium for a scene, and i like to think I achieved it. What I mean to convey is that each and every time certain words get used, does not mean that there is racism afoot... here it was just the sorts of things people say when there's a giant brawl and tension. It was used to dark humor, and it was an important plot point. The team was not going to be out muscled around by goon teams anymore. I personally liked the sports writers little article later on that got quoted about the whole affair. The team picked up the nickname "the Bloody Bridesmaids" and it became a minor theme among others to the book. It helped define the MC and who she became later in life, where she learned it.

When the enemy plays dirty? You have no choice but to jump in the mud and sling it back effectively, or you will lose and people will die.

The offensiveness of the situation though, was necessary and wasn't just a cheap shot to sneak it in. In other volumes of the same set? Life long friends that were in the service together, in combat for years. They all share crude humor and its all part of them being friends.

I'm trying to be realistic, not some politically correct "hallmark greeeting card" mentality to everything. Its a gritty dark noir